Customer Reviews

Race, Crime, and the Law

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There is a reason why Kennedy's book has become a "must read" among law professors. Kennedy's impeccable personal and academic credentials bring terrific power to his very original work. The most remarkable part: Kennedy's arguments are principled and balanced. No one will (or should) be able to write about these issues again without having to grapple with Kennedy's arguments.

As a graduate student in criminal justice - I find it enjoyable to read subjects that directly impact my course of studies and my profession. Race, Crime and the Law is one of the few books that I would STRONGLY recommend to every criminal justice, sociology and law student. In fact, I would recommend this book to anyone concerned with the current state of race relations within the United States. Kennedy's style and in your face writing is powerful and persuasive. This book is not written in the typical, arrogant style of many professors. Instead Kennedy writes this book for the masses.

1st & foremost, this is the BEST book i've read in a long time. Kennedy acheives what Gates & West do NOT ... an intelligent discourse on important issues currently facing racial minorities that is rooted in fact. he offers facts & precedent to support his opinions, views & hypothesis ... as opposed to rhetoric supported by rhetoric.

the book dissects the historical perversion of criminal justice/law enforcement to perpetuate the oppression of racial minorites. then it uses this historical context/premise to draw a picture of the current state of the relationship/role of the criminal justice system & law enforcement in minority communities. The book has brilliant sections on racial profiling, the war on drugs and the death penalty. each of these issues are dissected from a viewpoint of the critical legal issues ... and Kennedy finds time to interject his own opinion, SUPPORTED BY FACTS. Kennedy presents his material in a logical & organized mannner ... but not always concise. although i'm not a lawyer, it felt very much like a legal brief at times ... but it was still easy to read.

... highly, highly recommended, although it is a bit thick.

This lucid work of kennedy's is a comprehensive and beautifully written examination of race and its ralation to the criminal justice system and the law. Kennedy's arguments are superb, and he supports everything that he says with hard evidence, leaving his sound biases and premises the only things left to be considered. Kennedy is, even in this last matter, careful to make this book an exploration rather than a persuasion, and while he does make arguements and try to persuade the reader, he does not condemn his opposition and he certainly does not limit the scope of his thinking in any way possibly detrimental to the flow of ideas.

The book race, crime, and the law by Randall Kennedy has systematically and cogently addressed as many of the vexing issues persisting in American society, according to the New York Times. The author does not want to neglect the achievements that have been made over time by only focusing on the bias aspects of American legal order. I believe that he has done a good job at identifying all possible angles of of viewpoints in the cases and happenings that are mentioned in the book to prevent bias viewpoints himself. He seems aware that not all actions taken by people or government are triggered by racial factors. The section titled Race, Parochialism and the Marketplace of Emotion on Page three hundred forty-nine Justice John Marshall Harlan declares that every true man has pride of race.

This is a wonderful book. I found particularly valuable the sense of history Professor Kennedy brings to the question of racial discrimination in the administration of criminal law. Without an understanding of the racist brutality that has pervaded our justice system's treatment of black people -- whether as jurors, witnesses, defendants or suspects -- it is hard to fathom the depth of suspicion with which many black people today view the courts and the police. The anger with which a large number of black americans responded to events such as the acquital of the police officers who beat Rodney King is easier to understand when that incident is seen as merely the latest in a long history of incidents in which the courts at least appear to absolve white persecution of black men. Helping his readers achieve such an understanding is crucial, I think, to Professor Kennedy's project. Race relations in America are marked by such deep misunderstanding, by such a lack of empathy (especially on the part of many white people, for whom blacks remain a distant and vaguely sinister race), that progress toward a more harmonious and integrated society sometimes seems impossible. Professor Kennedy is clearly not a pessimist on this point. Using court cases as his raw material, he describes the corrupting effect of race on criminal justice in fascinating detail, then offers original, nuanced and appealing solutions to the dilemmas race poses for criminal law. A wise book -- and fun to read.

Excellent review of sensitive issues regarding race, ethnicity, and the criminal justice system!

Schools in America have always taught us with blindfolds on. It's up to the American people, [mainly people of color] to find the truth. The negative race relation state that America is today, is a direct result of the pre 1900's. Randall Kennedy shows us in this book how slanted the laws were during slavery times and what do you know, things haven't changed all that much.